The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-30

ger boy stalked out proud as king, and
rafting his money. Stenne passed, hang
ing his head, and as he passed the Prus-
sian whose gaze had embarrassed him SO,
he heard him say in sad tone of voice:
"A pact top; a pact top, this" and it
brought the tears to his eyes.
Once out in the plain the boys began
to run quickly toward home. Their bag
was full of potatoes which the Prussians
had given them, and SO they passed the
sharpshooter's trench without a hitch.
Here they were getting ready for the
night attack. Troops kept coming in
silently and forming behind the walls.
The old sergeant was there, looking hap
Ply and busily placing his men. He no.
ticed the children as they passed, and
smiled at them kindly. How that smile
hurt young Stennel He was on the point
OF calling out to them:
"Don't go there; we have betrayed
you"
But his companion had warned him:
eff you peach we shall be shot," and SO
fear kept him from saying anything.
At Courneuve they entered an aban-
doned house to divide up the money, and
truth obliges me to own that the division
was fair one, and that when young
Stenne heard the crowns jingling in his
pockets and thought OF the many games
OF "galoche" he should be able to play,
his crime no longer seemed such horri-
BILE one.
AS soon as he was alone however, he
began to suffer misery; the big fellow had
left him as soon as they passed the gates,
and then the crowns in his pocket began
to grow heavier and heavier, and the
hand that was clutching his heart tight
ened its grip. Paris seemed changed;
the people in the street looked at him
disapprovingly, as if they knew where he
had been, and he kept hearing the word
"spy" in the noise of the wheels and in
the rolling of the drums the boys were
practicing on along the canal embank-
ment. He reached home at last, and went
to his room at once, thankful that his ia
Their had not come home yet; the crowns
that seemed SO heavy to him he hid under
his pillow.
Father Stenne had never been so good
or SO jolly as that evening when he came
home. The news from the provinces was
good, ana prospects looked more cheer
full. While he was eating supper the old
soldier kept looking up at his gun that
hung from a nail in the wall, and said to
his boy with good-natured laugh:
"Hey, little man, how you would go
for those Prussians, if you were big
enough"
About 8 o'clock they heard the guns
booming.
That is at Aubervilliers. They are
fighting at the Bourget," eaid the old fell
low, who knew all the forts by heart.
Young Stenne grew very pale and went
up to bed, saying he felt tired; but he
could not get to sleep-and the guns kept
on booming. He fancied that he could
see the sharpshooters going out into the
night, SO as to surprise the Prussians, and
falling into an ambush themselves. He
remembered the sergeant who had smiled
at him, and he fancied he saw him
stretched out in the snow, and number
of others with him. The price of all this
blood was just there below his pillow
and he, the son of Mr.. Stenne, the son OF
a soldier! ALL the tears were choking
him. In the next room he heard his IA
Their walking up and down, and then open
the window. On the square below they
were beating to arms; militia battalion
was forming, ready to start. 1t was really
a serious battle; he could not keep back
his sobs.
"What is the matter?" asked Father
Stenne, as he opened the door. The child
could not stand it any longer, he jumped
out Of bed and threw himself at his IA
bucI . ioob, huu h5 uo Ulu 50 bu0 CfOWuB
rolled out on the floor.
"What is that?' asked the old man,
trembling all over. "Have you stolen?"
And without drawing breath young
Stenne told how he had gone to the Prus-
SLAMS and what he had done there; as he
talked his heart grew lighter; it was re-
lief to accuse himself. Father Stenne
and his brow kept growing
darker; when it was all told he laid his
face in his hands and wept.
Father, father" the child began.
The old man thrust him aside without
q word, and picked up the money. "Is it
all here?" he asked.
Young Stenne nodded. The old fellow
then took down his gun and cartridge
box, and put the money into his pocket.
"Very WELL" he said, az am going to
give it back to them" And without an
other word, without turning round again,
he went down and marched away into the
night with the militismen who we're just
starting. He never was seen again.
From the French of Daudet.